Ironically, the most au courant TV show fashion-wise this year is Succession. The antithesis to And Just Like That and Emily in Paris where the clothes are ‘the thing’ the Roy’s clothing is anything but. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Roy’s are so sure of their success that while they need to look nice, they don’t need to try. Surely the ultimate measure of success is when you have reached the stage that are so wealthy you have no need to participate in self-promotion online or off. It’s the ultimate power move.
Meanwhile, back in the real world, it follows through that todays super rich don’t need logos to display status either. They don’t scan the pages of glossy magazines studying the latest ‘must-have’ buys. They are all about adopting a quiet, low-level style. No loud obvious labels, no red soled Louboutins…it’s all about the down playing of excess and focusing on what makes high end clothing worthwhile. According to the BOF, ‘Broadly speaking, quiet luxury refers to ways of dressing that subtly telegraph status via materials, cut and low-key signifers rather than loud design flourishes and obvious logos.’ To the untrained eye there’s nothing to suggest these clothes are eye wateringly expensive. For HNWIs desirability is a combination of understated minimalism, luxurious materials and sublime fit.
More akin to ‘old money style’ tailoring aficionados like Gabriela Hearst and Bottega Veneta, and niche brands like Brunello Cucinelli (sales soared 29.1% in 2022) and Loro Piana, embody what fashion looks like for the one per cent. This return to a cleaner, more 90s aesthetic has seen renewed excitement around designers like Jil Sander, The Row, Georgia Armani and Max Mara.
Even the Hollywood elite and British royalty are turning their backs on ostentacious, or obvious, displays of wealth. Recycling dresses on the red carpet was big at this years Oscars. Kate Blanchett being a case in point. The likes of Nicole Kidman, Katie Holmes and The Princess of Wales are also making considered and purposeful purchases, repurposing gowns and opting for understated luxury brands like Métier.
Proving that unostentatious luxury is always chic the London based brand specialise in timeless accessories, combining the finest materials and meticulous handcraftsmanship. Kate Middleton is a huge fan of Métier, and is often photographed with the Roma Mini Suede Shoulder bag.
For a masterclass in quiet luxury take a closer look at the outfits worn by the Roy’s in Succession; Savile Row suits, silk shirts, well-cut wool trousers. Luxurious fabrics, impeccable fit. Logos and embellishments are seldom present. Based on the brutal machinations of a Murdoch-like media dynasty the show uses clothing to witty and devastating effect.
Costume designer Michelle Matland explains, The Roys “have been brought up in a very European sensibility. They were trained in how to behave and also how to dress. I think there is a decorum about that.” The Roy family are above using logos to display status. In their private world, they have no-one to impress. The Moncler padded vests the family wear to blend in at a tech retreat being a case in point…
When Cousin Greg’s date arrives at a family get together carrying a Burberry check tote he’s taken aside by Tom who fashion-shames his date. “So I hear you’ve made an enormous faux pas and everyone’s laughing up their sleeves about your date.”
To which Greg innocently replies “What, why?”
Tom: “Because she’s brought a ludicrously capacious bag. What’s even in there, huh? Flat shoes for the subway? Her lunch pail? I mean, Greg, it’s monstrous, it’s gargantuan. You could take it camping. You could slide it across the floor after a bank job.”
Another brilliant use of fashion is Kendall’s powering up wardrobe. As he strives to assert his position he ditches the Gucci and the Balenciaga in favour of a stealth wardrobe that minics his dads. Similarily, Shiv steps up her ambitions, and her look, by trading in her safe and conservative cardigans for gossamer thin polo necks, backless evening dresses and clinging silk shirts, which Matland describes as an early Carolyn Bessette look. Very simply, beautiful and lean. “It’s a look that tells you, ‘I’m here, I’m ready to fight you if I have to.’ It’s both cool and standoffish.
Meanwhile, husband Tom is ridiculed by the Roy siblings for his label defining wardrobe of off-the-peg suits. The reason we are all so obsessed with Successions’s ‘quiet luxury’ is that for most of us it’s simply not achievable. To truly understand it, you really do need to be on the inside.
